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Chapter 330:

Outside the basement.

“Mr. Mills, it’s all taken care of,” Monkey announced, his voice cutting through the stillness.

Colton cast a glance at the house before him, a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes as thick plumes of smoke curled upward from the basement.

Monkey stood patiently, awaiting Colton’s response, but when the man stayed lost in thought, he rubbed his fingers together and said, “Mr. Mills, about our payment p>

At Colton’s signal, Hank strode to the sleek black car nearby, returning moments later with a heavy duffel bag.

Without hesitation, Monkey unzipped the bag, his gaze instantly drawn to the crisp stacks of cash that made his eyes sparkle.

With that kind of money, he could finally stop running for his life. After counting the bills to confirm the amount, he zipped the bag shut, only to hear Leopard say coolly, “Mr. Mills, I don’t think the amount of money is right p>

𝗗on’𝗍 𝗆і𝘀ѕ ոе𝘸 𝗋𝘦𝘭еа𝘴𝘦𝘀 𝗈𝗇

“We agreed on a million,” Hank interjected. “What is the issue p>

Leopard’s gaze flicked to Hank, cold as winter frost, before he spoke to Colton with a venomous edge. “You hired us to kidnap a woman, but you conveniently left out that she is Mr. Stewart’s wife. Monkey and I got banged up pretty bad pulling this off, and crossing the Stewarts? That’s dangerous. Don’t you think we deserve a little extra for our trouble? Or should I have a chat with Mr. Stewart, telling him that you are the one behind everything p>

“Are you threatening me?” Colton’s eyes narrowed, his voice a low growl.

Leopard didn’t flinch, a sly smile curling his lips. “Oh, Mr. Mills, just a friendly nudge, nothing more p>

“Hand them another million,” Colton ordered, his tone clipped.

Hank wasted no time, retrieving another identical bag of money from the car.

Leopard accepted it with a smug nod, and he and Monkey soon got into their battered van, its engine coughing to life.

As the van rumbled away, Hank turned to Colton, his voice low. “Should we send someone to take care of them p>

“These two are desperate criminals. Taking them down won’t be easy p>

Colton hadn’t even finished his sentence when the van suddenly turned around and came speeding back.

Monkey and Leopard leapt from the vehicle, their faces taut with alarm, leaving Colton and Hank frozen in confusion.

“Someone is coming up the mountain!” Monkey said, his voice laced with panic.

As Monkey and Leopard bolted toward the shadowy hills, Hank’s voice grew sharp with urgency. “Mr. Mills, we also need to leave now p>

Hank didn’t need to speculate to know who Monkey was referring to. Wyatt’s men were coming.

Given Wyatt’s resources, it was only a matter of time before he tracked down this remote hideout. Still, Hank hadn’t anticipated his people’s arrival so soon.

Colton, unmoved by Hank’s urgent words, fixed his gaze on the house before him, his eyes alight with a twisted sense of victory. The flames roared, casting an eerie glow across his face.

This fire wouldn’t just kill Ricky; it would also strike a devastating blow to Wyatt’s heart.

Everyone in Kretol knew Wyatt’s devotion to Amelia ran deep. If she perished in the fire, Wyatt would be consumed by anguish, a thought that sent a thrill of wicked delight coursing through Colton.

“Mr. Mills, we really need to move before Wyatt’s men get here,” Hank pressed, his voice tight.

Colton was tempted to witness Wyatt’s suffering firsthand but didn’t have the nerve to let himself be exposed. With a reluctant nod, he gave in to Hank’s insistence, and they slipped away into the night.

Meanwhile.

“Mr. Stewart, do you see that?” one of Wyatt’s men called out, pointing ahead.

From the car, Wyatt’s eyes locked onto the distant flames, a flicker of panic breaking through his usually steely composure. His fists tightened around a handful of tattered fabric scraps, silent clues Amelia had torn from her clothes and scattered along the road, guiding him to her.

“Drive faster!” Wyatt barked.

Barrie slammed his foot on the gas, the car surging up the winding mountain path with reckless speed.

When they reached the summit, the house was already a raging beast of fire, its flames licking the sky.

The group spilled out of the car, met by a blistering wave of heat that stung their faces.

The bodyguards fanned out, scouring the area for any sign of Amelia, but their search turned up nothing.

“We’ve checked everywhere, except…” The bodyguard trailed off, his gaze fixed on the blazing house.

Without warning, Wyatt, who had been silent, bolted toward the house. Barrie lunged forward, grabbing his arm to stop him. “Mr. Stewart, let us go in first p>

Barrie didn’t know if Amelia was trapped inside, but they had to find out. Still, he couldn’t let Wyatt risk his life.

But Wyatt shook him off with fierce determination and charged into the house.

Left with no choice, Barrie steeled himself and followed him into the burning house.

The remaining bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances, none willing to go in.